Lifting sheet



LIFTING SHEET Filed May 24, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

Unite States Patent LIFTING SHEET Bernice Fash, Hillside, Ill.

Application May 24, 1955, Serial No. 510,691

1 Claim. (Cl. --82) This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in a lifting sheet for lifting and handling a person who isnot able to move about under his or her own power.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a liftingsheet of the character more fully hereinafter described which permitsthe utilization of the necessary lifting muscles of the body asdistinguished from the gripping muscles, for lifting a person eitherfrom a bed or wheelchair or the like with the minimum degree of effortand with freedom of movement of the body of the lifters.

More specifically, an object of this invention is to provide an improvedlifting sheet wherein there is a multiplicity of openings arranged inpairs and spaced from each other, permitting the insertion of the arm ina sleeve-like form within the sheet with the hand free to grip a gripstrap while the weight of the patient to be lifted is disposed upon thearm, thus facilitating the use of the lifting muscles of the body of theattendant to move and lift the patient with the minimum degree of effortand labor.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lifting sheet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the lifting sheet shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows one application of the lifting sheet shown in Figs. 1 and2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 4-4 of Fig. 1.

A form of construction of my invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thisform is especially designed for use in lifting a patient from awheelchair to a table, bed, or the like. In this connection my improvedlifting sheet is formed of a suitable fabric having the desired tensilestrength to support the weight of a body to be lifted,

carried or moved about.

The sheet is preferably rectangular in plan View and folded upon itselfto provide outer layers 11 and 12 having their overlapping edges 11secured together by suitable stitching or the like.

The sheet provides a seat portion 10 and a back portion 9. The cornersof the sheet at the junction of the 'ice and the sheet providestherebetween an arm sleeve 15 into which the arms of the attendants areprojected, in a manner shown in Fig. 3.

In the opposite layer 11 of the sheet 10 and extending downwardly acrossthe unaltered corners 18 thereof are provided parallel spaced slits 19which likewise provide therebetween a sleeve structure. Adjacent theseslits 19 are parallel slits 20 which provide a strap 21 to be grasped bythe hand in a manner to be presently described. As before indicated,this form of sheet is especially adapted for lifting a patient from andto a wheelchair, table, bed, or the like. This is accomplished in thefollowing manner.

The lifting sheet is worked beneath the patient while vin sittingposition, so that the weight of the patient will be disposed upon theseat portion 10' of the sheet 10 and the back portion 9 will engage theback of the patient. Each attendant places an arm through the adjacentslot 16 within the sleeve provided between the slots 16. The attendantsarms will be disposed against the back of the patient, and they may thenjoin hands or employ a wrist grip to more firmly support the back of thepatient. The other arm of each attendant is inserted through the slots19 with the sleeve provided therebetween embracing the arm. The handextends exterior of the sleeve and is used to grasp the strap 21.

When the attendants have thus positioned their arms with respect to thelifting sheet, they are now ready to lift the patient from the chair toa table or the like. In so doing the weight of the patient is disposedprimarily upon the arms of the attendants. In this position of thepatient with respect to the arms of the attendants, the attendants maycall upon the lifting muscles of the body to lift the patient while onlyemploying the gripping muscles to lightly grip the strap 21. In thismanner, the patient may be lifted with ease from the chair and with theminimum degree of labor upon the part of the attendants. By such anarrangement, the lifting of heavy bodies is accomplished with as greatan ease as is the lifting of light bodies.

The simplicity of my lifting device will be appreciated from theforegoing description. Its utility for carrying persons who are unableto move under their own power will be greatly appreciated by those whohave found that it is quite a laborious undertaking to move suchpersons, especially in cases where the attendant relies largely upongripping the lifting device by the hands as distinguished from usingwith the utmost effect the lifting muscles of the body.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification Without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patentis:

A lifting sheet formed of a sheet of fabric substan tially rectangularin plan view and folded upon itself to provide confronting layers withthe edges of the layers over-lapping, stitches securing saidover-lapping edges together, said folded sheet having an integral seatand a back, said back having parallelly extending slits formed thereinin a direction from a transverse edge thereof and providing togetherwith the back an elongated arm sleeve extending along said transverseedge of the back and opening through said slits from the opposite sideedges of the back, said sheet on the side edge portions of said seatproviding spaced parallelly extending slits providing therebetween anarm sleeve extending toward the forward edge portion of the seat, and ahand strap formed in each of said side edge portions of the seat at theforward end of said last named arm sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent 4 Rosse Aug. 13, 1912Johnson Oct. 24, 1916 Caspar Mar. 15, 1932 Andersen Sept. 24, 1935 VanGasselt Feb. 17, 1942 Springer Nov. 29, 1949

